Lavandula plant named ‘Dolavimpear’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Lavandula  plant named ‘Dolavimpear’, characterized by its upright to somewhat outwardly spreading plant habit; medium plant height; freely branching growth habit; early and freely flowering habit; dark violet-colored flowers positioned on strong peduncles; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Lavandula dentata.

Cultivar denomination: ‘DOLAVIMPEAR’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct Lavandula plant, botanically known as Lavandula dentata, commonly referred to as Lavender and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Dolavimpear’.

The new Lavandula plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program was to develop new unique Lavandula plants with long flowering period and attractive plant form and flower coloration.

The new Lavandula plant originated from an open-pollination in April, 2017 of Lavandula dentata ‘Dolavimp’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 33,648, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown selection of Lavandula dentata as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Lavandula plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled environment in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands in June, 2018.

Asexual reproduction of the new Lavandula plant by terminal cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands since June, 2018 has shown that the unique features of this new Lavandula plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Lavandula have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of the new Lavandula plant. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Dolavimpear’ as a new and distinct Lavandula plant:

-   -   1. Upright to somewhat outwardly spreading plant habit.     -   2. Medium plant height.     -   3. Freely branching growth habit.     -   4. Early and freely flowering habit.     -   5. Dark violet-colored flowers positioned on strong peduncles.     -   6. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Lavandula differ primarily from plants of the female parent, ‘Dolavimp’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Lavandula flower earlier than plants of         ‘Dolavimp’.     -   2. Plants of the new Lavandula are more freely flowering than         plants of ‘Dolavimp’.

Plants of the new Lavandula can be compared to plants of the Lavandula dentata ‘Goodwin Creek Grey’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Lavandula differ primarily from plants of ‘Goodwin Creek Grey’ in plant size as plants of the new Lavandula are shorter and more compact than plants of ‘Goodwin Creek Grey’. In addition, leaves of plants of the new Lavandula are dark green in color whereas leaves of plants of ‘Goodwin Creek Grey’ are greyish green in color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Lavandula plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Lavandula plant.

The photograph on the first sheet (FIG. 1 ) is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Dolavimpear’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet (FIG. 2 ) are close-up view of typical leaves and inflorescences of ‘Dolavimpear’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in 17-cm containers in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands during the summer initially in a greenhouse and finished in an outdoor nursery and under conditions and cultural practices which approximate those generally used in commercial Lavandula plant production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 21° C. and night temperatures averaged 15° C. Plants were 13 weeks old when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, Fifth Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Lavandula dentata ‘Dolavimpear’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Lavandula dentata ‘Dolavimp’,             disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 33,648.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Lavandula             dentata, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 16 days at             temperatures about 26° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About three weeks at             temperatures about 23° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 24 days             at temperatures about 23° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four             weeks at temperatures about 18° C.         -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fibrous; typically             white to light yellow in color, actual color of the roots is             dependent on substrate composition, water quality,             fertilizer type and formulation.         -   Rooting habit.—Moderately freely branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Herbaceous perennial; upright to             somewhat outwardly spreading plant habit; medium plant             height; broadly obovate in overall plant shape; freely             branching habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; rapid             growth rate; flowers arranged in verticillasters on crowded             spikes with showy terminal flower bracts.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of foliar plane.—About 24             cm.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of floral plane.—About 41             cm.         -   Plant width.—About 51 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Quantity per plant: Freely             branching with about three primary lateral branches each             with about 16 secondary lateral branches developing per             plant. Length: About 33 cm. Diameter: About 6 mm. Internode             length: About 1.3 cm. Strength: Strong. Aspect: Erect to             about 40° from vertical. Texture and luster: Pubescent;             glossy. Color, when developing and developed: Close to 143C;             if woody, close to 165A.         -   Leaf description.—Arrangement: Opposite and decussate,             simple; sessile. Length: About 5 cm. Width: About 8 mm.             Shape: Linear. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate. Margin: Crenate             with deep parallel lobes. Texture and luster, upper surface:             Smooth, glabrous; glossy. Texture and luster, lower surface:             Pubescent; semi-glossy. Fragrance: Strongly aromatic,             pungent. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color: Developing             leaves, upper surface: Close to 146A. Developing leaves,             lower surface: Close to 146B. Fully expanded leaves, upper             surface: Close to 147A; venation, close to 146A. Fully             expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 146A; venation,             close to 146A. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type, arrangement and habit.—Single bilabiate flowers             arranged in compact verticillasters on crowded terminal             spikes; freely flowering, about 78 flowers developing per             inflorescence and about 5,472 flowers developing per plant             during the flowering season; flowers with two-lobed upper             lip and three-lobed lower lip; flowers face mostly upright             to outwardly on the spike; inflorescences with showy             terminal flower bracts; flowers sessile.         -   Natural flowering season.—Flowering is continuous from June             to August in The Netherlands; early flowering habit, plants             begin flowering about seven weeks after planting.         -   Flower longevity on the plant.—Inflorescences last about             three to four weeks on the plant; flowers persistent.         -   Fragrance.—Strongly fragrant; typical lavender scent.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 6 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Shape: Elliptic. Texture and luster: Pubescent; glossy.             Color: Close to 143A variably tinged with close to 187A.         -   Inflorescence size.—Height: About 6 cm. Diameter: About 1.5             cm.         -   Flower size.—Diameter: About 3 mm by 4 mm. Depth (height):             About 7 mm. Throat diameter: About 1 mm. Tube length: About             5 mm. Tube diameter: About 1 mm.         -   Petals.—Quantity and arrangement: Upper lip, two-lobed and             lower lip, three-lobed. Length: About 1 mm. Width: About             1 mm. Shape: Linear; proximally, fused into a tube. Apex:             Obtuse, rounded. Margin: Entire; not undulate. Texture and             luster, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; matte.             Texture, throat and tube: Smooth, glabrous; matte. Color:             When opening, upper and lower surfaces: Close to N88A. Fully             opened, upper and lower surfaces: Close to N88B; venation,             close to N88B; color does not change with subsequent             development. Throat: Close to N88B; venation, close to N88B.             Tube: Close to NN155D; venation, close to NN155D.         -   Terminal flower bracts.—Quantity and arrangement: About four             positioned at inflorescence apex. Length: About 1.2 cm.             Width: About 1 cm. Shape: Rhomboidal. Apex: Acute. Margin:             Entire. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 79A.         -   Basal flower bracts.—Quantity and arrangement: Subtending             the flowers is a single basal flower bract. Length: About             1.2 cm. Width: About 1 cm. Shape: Rhomboidal. Apex: Acute.             Margin: Entire. Texture, upper surface: Pubescent. Texture,             lower surface: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper surface: Close             to 137C. Color, lower surface: Close to 137C variably             overlain with close to N187A.         -   Calyx.—Arrangement: Five sepals fused forming an urceolate             calyx. Length: About 7 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Sepal             texture and luster, upper surface: Pubescent; glossy. Sepal             texture and luster, lower surface: Smooth, glabrous; glossy.             Sepal color: When opening and fully opened, upper surface:             Distally, close to 187A and proximally, close to 147B. When             opening and fully opened, lower surface: Close to 146B.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 22 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Aspect: Upright. Strength: Strong. Texture and luster:             Pubescent; semi-glossy. Color: Close to 143A variably tinged             with close to NN187A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Four.             Filament length: About 1 mm. Filament color: Close to             NN155D. Anther shape: Rounded; basifixed. Anther size: About             1 mm by 1 mm. Anther color: Close to 200A. Pollen amount:             Abundant. Pollen color: Close to 15A. Pistils: Quantity per             flower: One. Pistil length: About 5 mm. Stigma shape:             Capitate. Stigma diameter: About 0.2 mm. Stigma color: Close             to 203A. Style length: About 3 mm. Style color: Close to             NN155D. Ovary color: Close to 144B.         -   Seeds and fruits.—To date, seed and fruit production has not             been observed on plants of the new Lavandula. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, plants of the new Lavandula     have not been noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Lavandula plants. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Lavandula have exhibited good     tolerance to rain, wind and to tolerate temperatures ranging from     −15° C. to about 35° C. and to be suitable for USDA Hardiness Zone     7. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Lavandula plant named ‘Dolavimpear’ as illustrated and described. 